Twelve year old Kai gets sponsorship from Rip Curl

Australian surf apparel brand, Rip Curl has sponsored Under-14 junior surfing champion Yoosuf Kayan Hamdhan Zaki (Kai).

The12-year-old is the youngest athlete in Maldives to be sponsored internationally. Kai will also be one of the youngest athletes that Rip Curl has sponsored globally.

As part of the two-year partnership, the company will offer Kai training opportunities as well as surfing apparel and gear.

Kai will also be provided with the opportunity to take part in competitions held by Rip Curl to identify youth talent in Bali Indonesia and Australia.

According to Kai's father Hamdhan Zaki, the sponsorship will open up a lot of opportunities for Kai and his biggest joy is the fact that the sponsorship was provided directly by Rip Curl Australia.

He explained that this opportunity was provided by Rip Curl Australia through Rip Curl Maldives.

Under the partnership, Kai will represent Rip Curl Maldives.

Some of the world's greatest surfers are sponsored by Rip Curl with Mick Fanning And Tyler Wright from Australia as well as Bethany Hamilton from US among them.

Rip Curl, founded in Australia in 1969, is one of the top three companies in the world for the production and distribution of clothing and equipment for surfers apart from Billabong and Quicksilver. There are 332 Rip Curl outlets globally. In the Maldives, Rip Curl operates stores at Crossroads and Lhohifushi Island Resort.

Most promising Maldives surfer

Kai is one of the most promising surfers in the Maldives right now. He won the Under-14 junior championship and received a wild card entry to the National Surfing Competition (Rannamaari Challenge).

During the third round of Rannamaari Challenge Kai, defeated the No.1 ranked surfer in Maldives and the National Dhivehi League Surf Champion Ahmed Agil (Ammadey).

Kai, scored a total of 10.90 points in four waves. His first wave received a score of 7.00, while the fourth wave received 3.90 points. Ammadey completed six waves for a total score of 10.50.